Shopping
by Snicker Puff
Summary: Collins breaks a promise to Angel.


"But Collins! You promised!"

Angel didn't mean to sound whiny, she really didn't, but she simply couldn't help herself. She'd been waiting for this all week, and now Collins was backing out on her. And for what? To correct some silly papers.

"I'm sorry, baby," Collins said, moving to where Angel stood, arms crossed and pouting in the middle of the bedroom. He wrapped his arms around her but she didn't respond, simply stood there, stiffly, not looking at him.

"Angel, I'm sorry, I really am," he repeated, trying to get her to look at him, with no success. "Baby," he tried again, "I didn't know these were going to take so long. If you give me a little bit, I'll come with you. I just _really_ need to finish this."

Angel shook her head, frowning. "It's fine, Collins. Go correct your papers. I'll be back later."

Without another word, or even so much as a kiss goodbye, Angel turned and left the apartment, leaving Collins to stare after her, listening to her heels click down the stairs until they faded away. With a sigh, he walked back to the kitchen table sitting and looking down at his papers. He lifted his pen and scanned the first line of one, but found himself unable to concentrate.

Collins hadn't meant to upset Angel. Earlier in the week, she had asked him to go shopping with her, to help her pick out a Hallowe'en costume. He remembered teasing her for going so early – it was only April! But she had patiently explained to him that she needed to give herself enough time to make it. Collins had laughed, complimenting her on her sewing skills, and agreed to go with her when she told him that she also wanted to find them matching costumes.

But he hadn't anticipated these papers would take so damned long. He also hadn't thought Angel would be so disappointed. It was just a shopping trip, right? She went shopping all the time. And yet, clearly, this time had been important to her. In all the months they'd been together, this would have been the first time they went together. He hated that he'd upset her and wanted to be able to fix it. But he still had the papers to grade…

Shaking his head, Collins stood, tossing his pen onto the table. The papers could wait. His Angel was much more important than them.

Once on the street, Collins hurried to Angel's favourite thrift shop, fully expecting to find her there. He spent a good ten minutes wandering around, even going so far as calling her name at one point, but she was no where to be found. He had the same results at two other stores and was ready to give up. Maybe she hadn't gone shopping after all. Hadn't she once told him that she didn't like shopping when she was upset? Maybe she'd just gone for a walk. Maybe she'd gone back home only to find an empty apartment.

Retracing his steps, Collins worked his way back toward their apartment, but was distracted by a display in the window of a clothing store as he passed. It wasn't a store he'd ever heard Angel talk about, but looking inside, there seemed to be many things in there that she would love. Of course, he was also sure that the prices were nothing like what he'd seen in the thrift stores, but he went inside anyway.

20 minutes later, Collins left the store, two bags in his hand and his mind busy calculating just how many extra tutoring sessions he was going to need to offer to pay for what he bought. It didn't matter, though; all that mattered was making Angel smile.

Back at the apartment, Collins held the bags behind his back. He knew Angel would still be able to see them, but it made it that much more of a surprise, even still. He saw Angel's jacket and boots, so he knew she was in the apartment somewhere. Immediately, he headed for the bedroom. That was where he could usually find her when she was upset.

"Angel?" he called softly, knocking lightly on the door as he opened it. As he expected, Angel was there, lying on the bed, arms crossed over her chest and giving him a look that nearly made him cringe.

"Where were you?" she asked, her voice carrying none of its usual sparkle. She didn't wait for Collins to answer before continuing, "You said you couldn't come with me because you had to _grade papers_," she said, surprising him with the sarcasm in his voice, "And yet you could go off by yourself! If you didn't want to come with me, Collins, you should have just said so in the first place, instead of lying to me!"

"I'd never lie to you, Angel," Collins assured her, ignoring for the moment the look she gave him and moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "I was trying to find you, baby. I couldn't concentrate on the papers, so I went out to look for you. But I couldn't find you."

Collins reached out to place a hand on her cheek but she brushed it away, moving across the bed and placing as much distance between them as she could. Collins was taken aback, but Angel didn't give him a chance to respond.

"I'm not hard to miss, Collins, and you know where I shop," she said, eyes narrowed, studiously looking away from him.

"I went to that store you like, Angel," Collins insisted, trying to keep his voice calm and even. He hated the way Angel was speaking to him, but he didn't want to aggravate things by matching her tone. "You weren't there. I went to _three_ of your favourite stores, and I couldn't find you, so I came back home."

Angel just shook her head and Collins knew she didn't believe him. He sighed, moving closer to her on the bed, hoping she wouldn't move away from him again, or worse; get up and leave. He was relieved when she stayed put, although he could still feel how tense she was, and how angry.

"Baby," he tried again, "You _know_ I wouldn't lie to you. You know it. I felt bad for letting you down and I wanted to go join you. I don't know where you went, but you weren't anywhere I looked."

Collins reached out and took Angel's chin gently in his hand, trying to get her to look at him, but she pushed it away and looked pointedly in the opposite direction. Collins sighed, shaking his head.

"When I couldn't find you, I ended up in a little store not far from here," Collins continued, wishing he could make her smile again, or at least look at him, "I bought you something."

Collins lifted one of the bags from where he had dropped it on the floor, trying not to grin when he saw how hard Angel seemed to be trying not to look interested, when Collins knew she was terribly curious. He could see her eyes darting back and forth in an attempt to see into the bag without turning her head, and the way the scowl melted just a little.

"Don't you want it, baby?" he asked after a moment, when she still hadn't moved. He allowed the grin he was holding back to seep into his voice as he continued, "I think you'll like it."

But Angel was stubborn, and still refused to look at him. "You're just doing this to try to keep yourself out of trouble," she mumbled, though her voice was not nearly as harsh as it had been before. Collins simply shrugged.

"Maybe," he conceded, leaning in close and resting his chin on her shoulder from behind, one arm snaking around her waist to rest on her stomach, the other slipping into the bag to grab the little gift. He looked up at her, face still turned away from him, and smiled, "Or _maybe_ I just love you and wanted to buy you something I thought you'd like." He nuzzled his nose against her neck.

"Stop that!" Angel protested, bringing her hand up to swat at his face, but Collins knew he was winning her over, and stayed exactly where he was, kissing her neck as he pulled a short, electric blue skirt out of the bag and draped it over her lap.

"What do you think, Angel?" he asked, watching her look down at it. He saw the beginnings of a smile tugging at her lips, but still, she stayed silent. "Or… maybe I should just take it back," he suggested, pulling the skirt off her lap.

Quick as lightning, Angel's hand darted out and grabbed his wrist, and he looked up to find her finally looking at him.

"Don't you dare," she whispered, a smile now lighting her face, and Collins leaned up to kiss her, pleased when she didn't back away from him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I know."

"I wouldn't lie to you, Angel."

"I know, Collins," she said, running a hand across his cheek, her other hand fingering the skirt, "Thank you."

Angel smiled lovingly at Collins, and kissed him sweetly, lips lingering against his. When she finally pulled away, Collins held her close for a moment, before reaching over the bed for the other bag.

"Bought you something else, too," he informed her, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He reached into the bag and pulled out a slinky black negligee, holding it up for Angel's inspection, a seductive smirk on his lips.

"Oh, honey, you're too good to me," Angel breathed, taking it from him and raising a suggestive eyebrow, "Do you think I should try it on?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Definitely."


End file.
